How learning dance prepares me for life
[Applause]
bye
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foreign
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do
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what you have just seen is a scene from
giselle
one of the most famous ballet
productions
in the world it is the peasant paw
variation
from act 1 which is performed by giselle
the female lead in the ballet it is
meant to entertain a party of nobles
who had just come back from a hunt
my mom often says that i was dancing
before i could walk
and as a dancer who started her journey
at the age of
three i often think this to be true
i have danced most of my life even
though
i’m just 12. i was whisked off to dance
class
almost every day after school and
practiced
constantly at home danced took up most
of my waking hours
and spending so much time in the studio
has made me realize that i was learning
so much more than just the dance and the
movements
besides learning how to strengthen my
toes so i could dance on point
i also had to learn different skills
that i would later carry on into my life
and i am here to share all of them with
you today
dancing has taught me the importance of
expressing ourselves
any form of art whether it’s dancing
singing acting writing painting or
drawing
is the best form of self-expression
dance is a performing art by performing
we channel our
energy in a way that makes us feel
positive
and makes others around us feel happy
my teacher tells me it’s almost like
therapy
dancing has taught me the importance of
creativity
the most successful artists are the ones
who are well-rounded
and the ones who can dominate different
disciplines
i started my dancing journey with ballet
which is the foundation for every dancer
structure
and as i grew to look more into the
dance world
i loved all different types of dance
including modern jazz contemporary
musical theater tap irish and chinese
dance
having a varied skill set helps a dancer
be more innovative
when they are asked to choreograph
something for example
a student piece another thing i’ve
learned from the years of dancing
is to be open-minded and flexible
adaptability is essential for the art
and for life in general for the past
eight years i have met countless
different teachers
that all have different teaching styles
for example ballet classes some teachers
like to have a set repertoire while
others like
to make up exercises for every single
dancer
fit to their needs
but they have all followed one rule
and that is that art is subjective
they have all taught me all different
types of techniques
their own way and i am thankful for that
for the past eight years i’ve met
countless different teachers and
directors
who have all followed one basic truth
that dance is subjective
that means that every teacher will have
his or her
own method and each director will use
different techniques
to get the best out of their dancers
in ballet classes for example exercises
can change
according to the teacher while some have
a set repertoire for every single class
others choose to make up different
classes
for each student so being flexible
and being able to adapt to the person
you’re working with
is essential when you’re a dancer
indeed one of the most important lessons
from my years of dancing
is teamwork though sometimes we audition
on our own
and can have solo parts in a production
the fact is is that most dancers work
collaborate and perform in large groups
every ballet play for instance every
role of the dancer is important
in order to complete the storyline we
all rise
or fall together when you’re part of a
team
you have to cover for each other and
that’s why cooperation
coordination and a collaborative spirit
is key to becoming a successful dancer
i remember one day when a few hours
before our competition
we all gathered up in the studio and our
teacher announced that there were
two dancers who could not attend the
competition that very day
with only a few hours to spare we all
panicked
but luckily this only lasted five
seconds
after that we all collaborated together
and worked on changing the choreography
so that
the judges couldn’t tell we were missing
dancers
at the end of the day we were able to
pull off a win
and won gold medal placing first overall
in the whole entire competition being an
artist
can be tough especially when you’re just
a kid
throughout your learning you will face
many challenges
and sometimes things don’t always go the
way you planned
indeed handling frustration is every
artist challenge
but if dancing or any other form of art
is your passion you will find a way to
overcome it
and so without a doubt the most
important thing i’ve learned from dance
is perseverance
as a dancer you must have grit you must
train harder
if you are to succeed let alone compete
this year for example the pandemic
forced my dance teacher
to move back to italy for personal
reasons
i had respected her and we had formed a
very strong bond
but now no director for a small school
meant they had to close down and i was
left
without a teacher and without a place to
dance at
now i thought this was the end of my
dancing
but suddenly my mom encouraged me to
look
away from home farther away and we
actually found
an amazing academy with excellent
teachers as well
i am so lucky to be able to dance in
this pandemic
people often ask me are you spending too
much time dancing
that you neglect your schoolwork and
the answer is a definite no
by learning dance or any other art form
i am actually learning skills that will
help me become
a better student such as
creativity expression and discipline
and it is these same attributes that
help me
become a better class leader
right now i am passionate about dancing
so
i give it my 100 i am determined to keep
practicing
keep learning and keep improving myself
i can take everything i learned from
dance
and apply it to the real world
or other aspects in life such as family
academics and a career in the future
whether that’s dancing
or something else what i learned from
dance
being open-minded teamwork and
perseverance
are the same values that will help me
later on in life
a big part of having a successful life
is to be prepared for it my eight years
in
dance have shaped me as an individual
and i strongly believe it has prepared
me for the challenges that lay ahead
i can’t express how thankful i am to
have learned
all of these important life lessons that
will provide
a stable foundation for my life and my
future
thank you
[Applause]